2005 Hyperactive Hurricane Season
The 2005 Hurricane Season was a catastrophic hurricane season that featured many storms, as well as the most intense hurricanes ever, until 2034. The season started out early and explosive, with the first storm being a category 2 hurricane. 2005 also had the most fatalities of any season, with most caused by Gaston, Matthew, Otto, Paula, Shary, Virginie, Alpha, Gamma. Due to a combination of factors, including strong La Nina conditions, relatively little wind shear, and warmer than usual waters came to create the most devastating and active hurricane season of the 21st century. A total of more than 4000 people died and economic losses summed up to 1200+ billion USD (2005 USD). Hurricane Alex On May 1, NHC began monitoring an area 150 miles east of the Lesser Antilles with limited, but moderate convection and named the disturbance Invest-90l, and gave it a 60/60 chance of development. On 3rd May, Recon was sent out and found a closed circulation and 45 MPH winds. Invest 90l became the first Tropical Storm of the 2005 Hurricane Season. Tropical storm Alex pushed through the Windward Islands, and passed right by Barbados. Tropical storm warnings were issued for southern Dominican Republic, as the NHC forecasted Alex to curve northwestward. Tropical Storm Alex strengthened into a strong tropical storm. On May 5th, Recon found 80 MPH winds and NHC upgraded Alex to a Category 1 Hurricane. Hurricane Warnings were issued as Alex passed north of the Dominican Republic. Heavy rains caused mudslides, which killed 4 people. Max sustained winds were reported at 38 MPH, just short of tropical storm status, in the town of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Steering currents pulled Alex away from the US, towards the northeast. Hurricane Alex, at category 2 status at peak intensity, rapidly weakened because of strong wind shear and cold waters, due to it being before the season even started. Alex dissipated on the 8th, but not before leaving 34 people dead in its wake and 14.8 million USD. The remnants of Alex caused a fatality in the UK. Tropical Storm Bonnicula Tropical Storm Bonnicula formed from a tropical depression, off the coast of Florida. Another Early season storm, Recon found only 50 MPH winds and no further strengthening was likely, due to wind shear, and colder waters. On June 3rd, Tropical Storm Warnings were issued from Georgia to Jacksonville, Florida. On 4th, Bonnicula made landfall at 40 MPH north of Jacksonville. Heavy rains and flooding injured 2 people. Bonnicula did not cause any fatalities, but damages were caused by flooding. Damage total reached 1.2 Million USD, when a mansion was heavily damaged. Bonnicula, upon landfall, spawned a waterspout that did not reach land and dissipated. Tropical Storm Colin Tropical Storm Colin formed from an invest, a little off the coast of northern Cuba. Tropical Storm Colin did have a bright future, until Hurricane Danny absorbed it. Overall, Tropical Storm made it to 65 MPH, before dissipating the next day on the 11th August. Colin only spun up fish, no direct land impacts. Hurricane Danny Hurricane Danny was the first category 5 hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season. NHC was monitoring a heavily convective area of disturbed weather, heading northwest into the Bahamas. On August 6, Recon found 60 MPH winds and a closed circulation, and named it Danny. Tropical Storm Danny stalled over the Bahamas for a few days, bringing catastrophic flooding and storm surge and rapidly intensifying. On August 10, Hurricane Danny, now at 90 MPH, absorbed Tropical Storm Colin, a tropical storm. Fujiwhara effect then ensued, Hurricane Danny tore apart Colin. Hurricane Danny continued to rapidly intensify as it moved west, into the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Warnings were issued prior to Danny's landfall in Key West, Florida, as a category 4 hurricane. Hurricane Danny moved northwest, and hurricane warnings were issued for parts of Louisiana, and Mississippi for a possible landfall in New Orleans. Hurricane Danny made landfall at peak intensity on the 13th, devastating southern Louisiana. Hurricane Danny, although not the deadliest, did cause 24 deaths due to multiple tornadoes and flooding. Hurricane Danny's structure collapsed, sending the intensity into free fall. Danny became extratropical and dissipated on the 15th over Indiana. Hurricane Danny caused 1.2 billion USD in damages. Hurricane Earl Hurricane Earl was another fish storm that did not affect any land. A tropical wave originating from Africa showed significant convection, and Recon found 45 MPH winds and a closed circulation. Earl formed from the area of disturbed weather, and moved northwest across the Atlantic Ocean, gradually strengthening until it reached peak intensity, 700 miles east of Bermuda. It then weakened over cooler waters after several days of movement across the North Atlantic, and dissipated on the 30th August. Hurricane Franklin Hurricane Franklin was a relatively weak hurricane that affected the Yucatan Peninsula and some of Belize. A tropical wave moved west, south of the Dominican Republic and was given a medium chance of development. On August 17, Hurricane Hunters found 40 MPH winds and Tropical Storm Franklin came to be. Tropical Storm Franklin exhibited some convection and was strengthening as it moved close to the islands east of Cuba. Jamaica was especially hit hard, and 35 people died due to mudslides as Hurricane Franklin, now at peak intensity, moved close to the Yucatan Peninsula. Hurricane Warnings and Tropical Storm Warnings were issued in parts of the Peninsula. Franklin weakened slightly before making landfall in Belize City on the 20th August, and then rapidly weakened until dissipating over the rugged mountains of Mexico, but not before killing a total of 56 people and causing 231 million USD in damages. The name Franklin was retired due to its destructive nature. Hurricane Gaston Hurricane Gaston was a very destructive hurricane that devastated southern Texas. On August 20, NHC began monitoring an area of heavy convection in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, and already was organized. On 22nd August, Recon was sent out to investigate the disturbance. The disturbance was named Tropical Storm Gaston when Recon found 60 MPH winds. Tropical Storm Gaston moved west slowly and rapidly strengthened, and Hurricane Warnings were issued in southern and southeastern Texas. Hurricane Gaston was already at peak intensity when it made landfall in Brownsville, Texas on the 25th August killing an estimated 200 people from flooding. An EF3 tornado, the strongest ever recorded in a hurricane, killed 45 people as it moved directly over a small town of a few thousand people. The other deaths were related to accidents, flooding, and debris from high winds. The storm then moved over Texas, rapidly weakening until it fizzled over northern Oklahoma on the 28th August. Flooding in Oklahoma killed 1 person. Gaston also caused more than 141 billion USD in damages. Hurricane Hermine Hurricane Hermine had the shortest track of any hurricane season, until 2057. Tropical Storm Hermine formed only a couple hundred miles west of Tampa, Florida, and rapidly strengthened as it stalled off the coast of Tampa. A high pressure ridge funneled heavy rains into western Florida, causing flooding and killing 12 people. On the 2nd September, Hermine, at peak intensity, moved northeast onshore north of Tampa as a category 4 hurricane. After landfall, Hurricane Hermine's core collapsed and rapidly weakened until dissipating over the Panhandle. Hurricane Hermine caused over 1.4 Billion USD in damages. Tropical Storm Ian Tropical Storm Ian affected Bermuda. On August 29, Recon found 40 MPH winds in an area of disturbed weather and Ian formed. Tropical Storm Ian then moved north towards Bermuda, and Tropical Storm Warnings were issued. But on the 1st September, Ian dissipated due to colder waters. The remnants of Ian brought moderate rains and some gusty winds. Hurricane Julian Hurricane Julian was a relatively long lasting hurricane that originated from a tropical wave off of Africa. On September 7, Recon went out to the disturbance and found 45 MPH winds and a closed circulation. Tropical Storm Julian formed from the invest, and started moving northwest. Gradually strengthening, Julian was upgraded to an 80 MPH category 1 hurricane on the 11th. On September 12, Hurricane Julian prompted hurricane warnings for parts of the southeast coast. Hurricane Julian then made landfall in Charleston, South Carolina, at peak intensity. A waterspout was seen moving onto land, injuring several people when their pontoon got tossed around. Hurricane Julian brought high winds, heavy rain and flooding to portions of South Carolina and northern Georgia. Hurricane Julian rapidly weakened to a tropical storm after landfall. Julian was blamed for almost 40 deaths and misplacing hundreds more. Julian was also the most devastating since Hurricane Isabel in 2003. 2 tornadoes were blamed for destroying several expensive homes, which brought the damage total above 500 Million Dollars. Tropical Depression Eleven TD Eleven was a minor storm that affected Bermuda. It originated from a tropical disturbance near Bermuda, moving northwest towards Bermuda, then TD Eleven dissipated due to cold waters. Heavy rains affected Bermuda, although no injuries/casualties or damage was reported. Hurricane Karl On September 9, Tropical Storm Karl formed from a disturbance that was moving north from Curacao when Recon found tropical storm force winds and a minimum pressure of 1004 mb. On September 10, Hurricane Warnings were issued for the Dominican Republic. Similar to Irene in 2011, Karl moved northward, between the islands of the Dominican Republic and eastern Cuba. Karl rapidly strengthened as it moved northwest towards the Bahamas and NHC upgraded Karl to a category 2 hurricane; Recon found 100 MPH max sustained winds. A day later, Karl made landfall in the Bahamas at peak intensity, killing 4 people, as Karl brought high winds and heavy rain, and a waterspout was seen off the coast of Nassau, Bahamas. Hurricane Karl weakened slightly as it made a second landfall in Jacksonville, Florida on the 12th of September, killing 12 due to flooding and bringing the death toll up to 16. Obviously, after landfall, Karl was forecast to weaken over the southeast coast. But due to the Brown Ocean Effect and interacting with Julian, Karl remained a category 1 hurricane until finally becoming extratropical over Tennessee and dissipating on the 14th of September. Along with the death toll, Karl brought the damage total up to 2.3 Billion Dollars. Hurricane Lisa Hurricane Matthew Category:Past Hurricane Seasons Category:Hyper-active seasons Category:Tropical cyclone articles with unknown units